An intravascular stent having an improved strut configuration

摘要

In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a stent for insertion into a vessel of a patient the stent is a tubular member with a predetermined a thickness. The member has front and back open ends and a longitudinal axis extending therebetween. The stent has a first smaller diameter for insertion into the vessel, and a second larger diameter for deployment into the vessel. The tubular member includes a plurality of adjacent hoops extending between the front and back ends. The hoops are made from a plurality of longitudinal struts and a plurality of loops connecting adjacent struts. The member further includes a plurality of bridges connecting adjacent hoops to one another. The individual struts have lengths, as measured parallel to the longitudinal axis. The stent is constructed so that the ratio of the number of struts per hoop to the length of a strut, as measured in inches, is greater than about 400.